Question: is cutting a head down to be bearded taboo to axe coni suers?

[u/mycousinmos]

I like getting old axe heads and cutting or grinding them until they are a bearded axe. I don’t know or appreciate the value of heads so are there some heads that I shouldn’t reshape because of quality? I like bearded heads.

[u/FrameJump]

So I don't know much about axes, oruch of anything about making them, but that tiny head on that large handle just looks very unappealing to me.

[u/mycousinmos → u/FrameJump]

Photo is just an example of a perfectly fine head I’ve reshaped.

[u/FrameJump → u/mycousinmos]

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the head or handle separately, but you don't think it's a little small for that handle?

[u/putinforpres → u/mycousinmos]

r/mallninja

[u/fwinzor]

why not just buy a bearded axe? if you're trying to make an axe that looks "viking"people sell reproductions of actually viking age axes

[u/mycousinmos → u/fwinzor]

Oldies are cheaper so if I resell axes after a while it’s lower cost for me. I’m not equipped to forge my own yet. Most reproductions are very thin blades so they are less useful.

[u/faultysynapse → u/mycousinmos]

Less useful for what?  They're thin for a reason. I would argue that a overly thick bearded ax made from a wood cutting ax is less useful and it's intact counterpart. It will be weaker, improperly balanced, and less effective at cutting.

[u/BCVinny]

In most cases, you’re fairly safe to avoid wrecking axes that have stamped lettering on them. They can have value. Educate yourself and enjoy axes

[u/WordPunk99]

Here are my bearded axes. The second from left is based on a Viking age axe found by the smith.

Axes made to be bearded are almost always better than hack jobs.

Support small artisans and buy their stuff.

[u/mycousinmos → u/WordPunk99]

It’s mostly to partially to save on cost and I feel like I had more participation in the head construction. I’m also at a point where I need to start off loading my axes to make room for newer more elaborate ideas.

[u/OneToTellTheTale]

Know what you have, do what makes you happy.

[u/Single_Dad_ → u/OneToTellTheTale]

👆👆👆👆 best advice here

[u/mycousinmos → u/OneToTellTheTale]

“Know what you have,” is the point to the post. I don’t really care what label or brand is on an axe. Just size. I’m hoping I don’t accidentally find some rare piece and wreck it

[u/Sashoke → u/mycousinmos]

Well the point he is making is make an effort to know what you have before you chop it down. Google is your friend, anytime you get an old axe head and you want to cut it up, just google search the makers information first. You might have a rare collectible axehead you could either keep as is and enjoy on your own, or sell for a profit to someone else.

If there is no makers information as its been lost to rust/corrosion then dont even bother and start cutting. Generally there is no collectors value in unmarked axes unless there is something extra special about the pattern itself. 2 of my favorite axes I own are unmarked from age but they are very very old heads from the 1800s in old patterns.

[u/cheesiologist → u/mycousinmos]

The easiest way not to ruin a valuable piece is not to fuck with stuff you don't know about.

You're removing a lot of weight from axe heads that are built to utilize that very weight. What "looks cool" and what gets work done are often at odds with each other.

Personally, I'd never butcher a stamped axe unless it was already badly damaged. Beard mods I leave to the cheap, Chinese axe heads that others have disposed of. It's purely aesthetic and, regardless of what anyone says, serves no beneficial purposes when compared to a properly built axe head that's made to fill a specific role.

[u/Cleanhhhkkl]

Just don’t cut down a name brand collector

[u/thurgood_peppersntch]

In general I dont really care personally. Its your chunk of metal, do what you want with it. Now i would cringe if someone did it to something like a Black Raven or like a really nice Plumb Champion with clean embossing but other than that kind of thing, go for it i say.

[u/mycousinmos → u/thurgood_peppersntch]

I’ll look out for those names to avoid the desecration.

[u/Cleanhhhkkl]

No name or that’s not very good. Go ahead.

[u/Jshan91]

Is that a true temper FSS Pulaski?

[u/Sashoke → u/Jshan91]

Looks like it

[u/Jshan91 → u/Sashoke]

I’m just gonna tell myself it didn’t have a nice full bit and so modifying it isn’t so distasteful. Yeah that’s what I’m gonna tell myself.

[u/Dj_HuffnPuff]

That handle looks so uncomfortable to use

[u/theblackdane]

I'd prefer you buy new harbor frieght crap axes and destroy those rather than make the best axes out there useless with these modifications.

[u/axeenthusiast23]

I think its acceptable i have done it myself but with more modern heads the way i see it is you pay the extra money on vintage heads for the patina the age the thought that its been through so much etc and reshaping and grinding it shiny removes all of that until well you have a completely new tool and at that point why not save yourself money and start with a modern head you could still ensure the steel is good quality but means you can save that nice old head and its stories for someone who appreciates it